CUSTOMERS WHO want to see certain videos of Dance Halls on their cable services will have to make sure they get decoders from their subscriber television (STV) operators. That's because the Broadcasting Commission is issuing a directive to all licensed cable services to air this material under the same conditions as other "adult programming".
At its October sitting, the Commission decided that whenever cable services air on their "Community" channels material that includes "indecent and profane matter" as stated in Section 30 (d) of the Television and Sound Broadcasting Regulations, it will have to be treated in the same way as the programming on the channels which are dedicated to adult content. That means mandatory scrambling of the programme and transmission only between 11 at night and 4 in the morning.
Although some operators have been treating the Dance Hall videos appropriately, by making sure they are not directly accessible to children and adult subscribers who don't want to see them, the Commission determined that earlier this year, Logic One had breached Regulation 30(d) by transmitting such a video without encryption and during regular hours. Logic One has been informed of the breach and instructed to take remedial action.
In the meantime, the Commission has also instructed all licensed STV operators to apply these special measures to some other programmes, which are transmitted on channels, originating outside of Jamaica, and relayed directly to cable customers. The first programme to be identified is "Queer as Folk", which is transmitted on Showtime.
The Commission had conducted investigations into a number of complaints from the public about sexually explicit content and use of profane language on this programme.
At its October meeting, the Commission determined that the transmission of this programme by Telstar and Logic One earlier this year was in violation of the law. That's because the programme included "explicit and offensive sexual conduct", making it an adult programme as defined by section 2 of the Regulations.
However, the programme was aired at eight in the evening and was not scrambled.
The two cable services, along with all other licensees, are receiving an official directive to only transmit the programme under the conditions which apply to adult programmes generally, it must be scrambled and aired only in the time band 11:00 p.m. to 4:00 a.m.
Following a review of the programmes on channels currently available to Jamaican cable viewers, the Commission will be providing the licensed operators with a list of any other material that will have to be treated as "adult programmes.
